WWE NXT
April 20, 2010
Uncasville, CT
Report by: Mike Tedesco of Wrestleview.com
“Yes, sir, we promised you a great main event…” The WWE video leads us into the show.
The NXT video plays and we’re brought into the arena. Matt Striker, who is ringside, welcomes us to the show. Striker introduces the NXT rookies who are in the ring. Some of them are getting pretty good reactions from the Mohegan Sun crowd. Striker reminds us that in three weeks we’ll have our second Pro’s Poll. Whoever is in last place will be eliminated. Last week we had the “Talk the Talk” Challenge which was won by Wade Barrett. Tonight they’ll test balance and striking abilities. On the stage is an American Gladiator “Rock and Sock ‘Em” set up. The winner will get a feature on WWE.com that will start at midnight.
Heath Slater and David Otunga will start out against one another. They get on the pedestal and grab their sticks. They fight it out pretty good until Heath Slater gets a good shot and Otunga falls. Slater is going to the semi-finals later tonight.
Next up will be Skip Sheffield and Wade Barrett. This should be a quick one. After a quick fight they both go off. Sheffield is determined by Jack Doane to be the winner. Sheffield goes to the semi-finals as well.
Daniel Bryan and Michael Tarver are up now. This should be interesting. I wonder if they’ll job out Bryan again. Striker says to go and Tarver immediately drops his stick and stands there. Bryan simply knocks him off and wins. Finally! Tarver then pushes hard at Bryan and runs away.
Justin Gabriel and Darren Young are the final two to go. They fight and then Gabriel simply loses his balance and falls. Heath Slater, Skip Sheffield, Daniel Bryan, and Darren Young are going to the semi-finals, which will happen later tonight.
Heath Slater will take on Chris Jericho tonight.
-Commercial Break-
We see a video hyping up John Cena vs. Batista at Extreme Rules. That’ll be a Last Man Standing match. They then run down the rest of the card. I’m looking forward to Edge vs. Chris Jericho in the Steel Cage.
Josh Mathews and Michael Cole talk about the Pro’s Poll before bringing us to a video hyping up Wade Barrett. The video has a bunch of interviews with the WWE Pros putting him over. This was a great video.
Heath Slater will take on Barrett’s Pro Chris Jericho later tonight.
-Commercial Break-
David Otunga (4-2) vs. Justin Gabriel (4-2)
Both men have their Pro’s at ringside (R-Truth and Matt Hardy).
The match begins and they circle the ring. They lock up and Otunga quickly takes him down with a waist lock. Otunga flexes and they lock up. Gabriel then takes Otunga down with an arm drag. Otunga gets a headlock on and Gabriel whips him off only to take a shoulder block. Otunga sends him to the ropes but Gabriel slides through and hits an arm drag. Gabriel then hits a dropkick and they have a stand-off.
Gabriel hits a drop-toe-hold and Otunga gets to the ropes. Otunga rakes the eyes and works over a stunned Gabriel. Otunga locks on a Tazmission and is looking for a submission. Gabriel fights up and kicks out. Otunga quickly gets the advantage back with a neckbreaker for a near fall. Otunga applies a knee to the back chin lock. The crowd is behind Gabriel and he fights up. Otunga knocks him down but misses an elbow drop. Otunga sends Gabriel to the corner and Gabriel counters into a head-scissors, taking Otunga out of the ring. Gabriel then hits a picture perfect over the top summersault senton! R-Truth is seen smiling about that.
Gabriel puts him I nthe ring and hits a springboard cross-body for a near fall. Gabriel wrenches the arm and hits a leg sweep. Gabriel goes up top but Otunga moves. Gabriel approaches him and gets thrown out of the ring. Gabriel is quickly on the apron and kicks. Gabriel does a sunset flip. Otunga tries to fight it and yells for R-Truth to grab his hands but he won’t. Otunga then falls into the sunset flip and takes the loss.
Winner by Pinfall: Justin Gabriel (5-2)
Match Rating: *
The Semi-Finals of the Rock and Sock ‘Em Competition is next.
-Commercial Break-
We come back to see Skip Sheffield and Heath Slater all set. Sheffield basically mauls him with the beat stick and wins this easily. Sheffield is in the finals.
Daniel Bryan and Darren Young are up next. They duke it out and Young gets the win. Michael Cole asks if Bryan’s ever won anything and calls him a loser. The pot has called the kettle black, my friends.
Michael Tarver comes out with his WWE Pro Carlito. Tarver says if silence is golden this his words are invaluable. Tarver says he’s done being overlooked and doesn’t play by the rules. Tarver didn’t come here to dance on a balloon like a monkey for our entertainment. He calls himself a bulldog and dares any pro or rookie to stop him.
Skip Sheffield comes out and tells him to shut his mouth. Sheffield says Regal is stuck in Europe but he’ll do him proud. Sheffield calls him a “nitwit of negativity” and says he’s going to beat him.
They get in the ring and before they can start the Straight Edge Society comes out. CM Punk says they’re not the only ones looking for competition. Last week he beat Luke Gallows on NXT, making a great demonstration of his thirst for competition. Punk says he believes in survival of the fittest. Punk wouldn’t do this for his own kicks: he does it to keep them sharp. Darren Young will now get a chance to continue his momentum. He’ll continue winning because this is a triple threat match.
Triple Threat Match
Michael Tarver (0-5) vs. Skip Sheffield (0-4) vs. Darren Young (5-2)
The bell rings and Young is quickly pummeled by the two big guys. They sends him to the ropes but Young holds the ropes. Sheffield charges and is sent over the top rope. Tarver sends him to the ropes but lowers his head and eats a kick. Young then clotheslines him over the top rope and stands alone in the ring.
-Commercial Break-
We come back from the break and the big guys are stomping a mud hole in Darren Young. Sheffield shoulders him in the corner and Tarver whips Young hard into the corner. Tarver then whips Sheffield into him. Tarver hits a snap suplex on Young and they wait for him to get up. Sheffield hits a belly to belly suplex for a two count broken up by Tarver. They then argue about who’s going to get the pin. Young nearly gets the pin on Tarver and Sheffield throws Young into the post shoulder first.
Sheffield hits a snapmare on Tarver and slaps the back. Sheffield hits a big splash and the pin is broken up by Young. Young then throws him out of the ring. Tarver hits Young with an uppercut and screams wildly. Young then catches him with a forearm shiver. Tarver reverses a whip and takes a diving shoulder block. Young nearly kills Tarver who takes a rough back body drop for a near fall. Young goes to the top rope and Luke Gallows pushes him off the top rope out of nowhere. Gallows then takes Sheffield out with a diving clothesline on the outside. Tarver took a whole lot of time and Young hits his finisher for the win.
Winner by Pinfall: Darren Young (6-2)
Match Rating: *
Luke Gallows does not look happy about that. They’re portraying Luke Gallows to be the jealous son.
A hype video for Heath Slater airs. They have the Pro’s talking about him. None of them are really big on him. They talk about him being over the top in a bad way. I agree with that myself.
Heath Slater will take on Chris Jericho tonight. The Finals of the Rock and Sock ‘Em Rookies Challenge is next.
-Commercial Break-
The WWE Rewind is Christian beating Wade Barrett following help from Heath Slater. This also featured botched interference from Jericho.
Skip Sheffield and Darren Young are ready for the finals. They’re in position and we’re reminded that the winner will receive an exclusive feature on WWE.com. They lock up their sticks and they both fall. Skip Sheffield is determined to be the winner. That may be a botched call. Sheffield was clearly the first down. Matt Striker then announces a rematch against Darren Young due to an inconclusive replay. Wow: Slater and Jericho are going to have less than two minutes. Sheffield then wins handily.
Matt Striker asks him how he feels. Sheffield quotes Keanu Reeves from a movie and says he’ll keep showing up. “Yup, yup, yup: what it do?” Umm… yeah.
Chris Jericho vs. Heath Slater (4-2)
The bell rings and Jericho talks some trash before slapping the taste out of his mouth. Slater fights but Jericho quickly punches him down. Jericho hits a back suplex and slaps the back of his head. Slater continues to fight but Jericho kicks him away. Jericho sends him into the ropes and hits a back elbow. Jericho hits a guillotine catapult and taunts the crowd. Jericho hits a snapmare and locks on an arm trap chin lock. Slater fights out, goes into the ropes, and eats a dropkick. Jericho goes for a Lionsault but Slater moves.
Slater comes back with a clothesline and a forearm. Slater forearms him in the corner and fails to get the crowd behind him. They boo as Jericho kicks him in the mouth. Slater comes back with a neckbreaker for a near fall. I don’t think Connecticut likes Slater. Jericho rakes Slater’s eyes and goes for the Walls of Jericho but Slater counters into an inside cradle for the win!
Winner by Pinfall: Heath Slater (5-2)
Match Rating: *
Chris Jericho is incredulous as he argues the call with the referee. That’s insane. Jericho argues the call vehemently before tearing the top off the announcer’s table. Jericho turns over the steel steps and throws some chairs. Jericho calls the referee “stupid” as the show ends.
Quick Match Results
Justin Gabriel (5-2) def. David Otunga (4-3)
Darren Young (6-2) def. Michael Tarver (0-6) & Skip Sheffield (0-5)
Skip Sheffield wins the Rock and Sock ‘Em Rookies Challenge
Heath Slater (5-2) def. Chris Jericho
Bump of the Night: Gabriel’s over the top summersault senton!
Match of the Night: Justin Gabriel vs. David Otunga * ½
Mike’s Thoughts
Wow, I wish the Pro’s Poll was next week. These contests are starting to get really lame now. We still have two more weeks to go of them. Yikes. This challenge was particularly boring and time consuming. The prize wasn’t even that clear. What’s the feature about? Speaking of the prizes, Wade Barrett was supposed to get his own entrance music. I was hoping to hear it tonight.
My god they are killing Daniel Bryan. I’m starting to lose faith in him myself. There has to come a point when the underdog gets ahead. This is ridiculous now. They should get him rolling at some point now… if they’re ever going to do it.
The rest of the show was ok. The triple threat was a little rushed with a lame ending. I also wasn’t a fan of how rushed Jericho vs. Slater was. If only we didn’t have that damn carnival game going throughout the whole show we could have seen something. How are these rookies supposed to impress the pros if they can’t get any decent ring time?
Final Rating: **
E-Mail – MikeyT817@hotmail.com
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